CSA2 FAQ

Overall project information CSA2 FAQ Project

comp.sys.apple2 usenet FAQ

This is the primary FAQ for the USENET news group hierarchy comp.sys.apple2, excluding comp.sys.apple2.gno. This is a suitable starting point for most Apple II related questions.

1. Part 1 CSA2 Part 1
2. Part 2 CSA2 Part 2
3. Part 3 CSA2 Part 3
4. Part 4 CSA2 Part 4

4 Part 4 CSA2 Part 4a Historical Reference Vendor Section as of Dec. 1998

1. Section 1: Intro
   1. What's a FAQ?
   2. How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it?
   3. What other FAQs are available for Apple IIs and the internet?
2. Section 2: What is an Apple II?
   1. The Apple I
   2. The Apple ][, ][+ and 'europlus'
   3. The Apple //e
   4. The Apple //c and IIc+
   5. The Laser 128EX
   6. The Apple IIGS
   7. The Apple ][e Emulation Card
3. Section 3: Quick New User's Guide to the Apple II
   1. I just got an Apple II. What should I be doing with it?
   2. What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
   3. What can you do with an Apple ][?
   4. What can the //e "borrow" from other computers?
   5. What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers?
4. Section 4: Adding Hardware
   1. What cards should go in which slots in my Apple II?
   2. Can I add more memory to my Apple II?
   3. Can I accelerate my Apple II?
   4. Can I hook up a modem to my Apple II?
   5. Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
   6. Can I hook up a Laser printer, ink jet, or bubble jet printer to my Apple IIGS?
   7. Can I use Macintosh RGB or IBM VGA/SVGA Monitors with my ][?
   8. Can I use my GS Monitor on a Mac or PC?
   9. Can the Apple II connect to keyboards, mice, etc. for other platforms?
   10. I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
   11. Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e or IIGS? Can it do OCR?
   12. What about clock/calendar capabilities?
   13. Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
   14. Can the Apple II connect to 3.5" drives or flopticals for other platforms?
   15. How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
   16. Can an Apple II connect to a SCSI device?
   17. Tips on setting up a SCSI system
   18. What about internal Hard Drives?
   19. What about a Parallel port Zip drive?
   20. What's this ProFILE hard disk, and how do I use it?
   21. How about a replacement power supply?
   22. What are the pinouts for all the various Apple II connectors?
5. Section 5: How do I get files off the net?
   1. What are Binscii & Shrinkit, and why do I need them?
   2. Where do I look on the net for Apple II files and info?
   3. How do you download files off the net?
   4. How do you transfer Apple Files to/from other personal computers?
   5. How do I transfer DOS 3.3, Pascal, CP/M files?
   6. How do I transfer files by [null] modem?
   7. How do I read/write files from other platforms with an Apple II?
   8. How do I read/write files from other platforms with an Apple IIGS?
   9. How do I read/write Apple II files from a Macintosh?
   10. How do I read/write Apple II files from an IBM PC?
   11. How do I download and unpack binscii?
   12. How do I download and unpack a Shrinkit unpacker?
   13. How do I unpack a generic .SHK or .BSQ file?
   14. I can download .BSQ files fine, but .SHK files can't unpack. What's wrong?
   15. Apple Archive Format
6. Section 6: Filetypes and dealing with files of various types
   1. A quick note about ProDOS filetypes
   2. Net standard formats
   3. What do the file extensions mean?
   4. How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
   5. How do I use text files from other computers?
   6. How do I view picture files from other platforms?
   7. How do I use Icons/Fonts/etc from other platforms?
   8. How do I listen to sounds/music from other platforms?
   9. How do I transfer Hypercard/Hyperstudio files?
7. Section 7: Some Common Questions (with answers!)
   1. Can my Apple II connect to the internet?
   2. I don't have an OS/Boot disk for my Apple II. Where do I get it from?
   3. How I connect my Apple II to an Appletalk (and/or Ethertalk) network?
   4. Is there any Ethernet capabilities for Apple IIs?
   5. What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
   6. How can I tell what version my computer is?
   7. How much RAM is in my Apple II?
   8. Can I use High Density disks on my double density Apple II drives?
   9. Why do partitions have a maximum size of 32MB?
   10. How do I convert from an Appleworks file to a text file without formatting codes?
   11. What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
   12. Can I install DOS 3.3 stuff on my hard drive?
   13. Is there any form of Unix I can use on an Apple II?
   14. Can I generate Postscript from my Apple II?
   15. How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
   16. My Apple II is running too fast. How do I slow it down?
8. Section 8: Strange problems:
   1. How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing cursor?)
   2. What are the problems with GSCII?
   3. AppleWorks won't print to my printer. What gives?
   4. My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting the date-- the battery is dead.
   5. I'm getting Error XXXX or YY. What's it mean?
   6. Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
   7. Where do I get support for AE boards now that they are closed?
   8. Is there a QWK reader for the Apple //e?
   9. I've got a problem. How do I troubleshoot it?
   10. My GS reported a problem with the Self Test. What do the numbers mean?
   11. My Apple II goes into a self test or reboots when I turn it on.
   12. My Hard Drive (or other disk) crashed! What do I do?
   13. My Apple II is reporting the wrong year. How do I fix that?
   14. My RamFAST board is reporting an error. What's the number mean?
   15. What does "UNABLE TO LOAD PRODOS" mean when I boot a disk?
9. Section 9: GS System 6.0 mini-FAQ
   1. Where can I get System 6, and what fixes are there for the known bugs in it?
   2. Common Problems
   3. Tips & Hints
   4. If you have a RamFast
   5. If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk
   6. If you have ProSel as your program launcher
   7. If you have an AMR 3.5" drive
   8. GSCII+ & HFS Note
   9. Finder 6.0.1 is displaying garbage in the windows!
   10. Icons no longer point to apps. How do I rebuild the desktop database?
   11. How do I make a 3.5" disk that boots and runs an Application?
   12. What's the difference between 2:1 and 4:1 3.5" formatting?
   13. What do I do with icon files for the Finder, and how can I customize how they appear?
10. Section 10: Resources for the Apple II
    1. Apple II Groups
    2. Hardware and Software Vendors
    3. Fun hardware add-ons
    4. Periodicals & Books
    5. Misc Resources